Your brand strategy is the promise you make, an identification of who you are and what you stand for. And while it usually includes your color scheme, logo and slogan, these are just creative components which only successfully describe your brand. Rather, your brand truly lives within every interaction you have with your audience: the symbols you align yourself with. Each moment your customer interacts with your brand gives them a unique opportunity to connect with who you are, what you do, and how we can help them achieve their goals.
Branding is about consistently communicating positive messages in a unique way to build trust and loyalty. In essence, branding is more about representing who you are than about creating a product that solves a problem or providing something unique. If all your brand does is provide a solution to a known problem, then competition from your competitors is not really a threat. Competition from your competitors is an opportunity to build your credibility, your value and your brand strategy. Building trust and loyalty allow your customers and prospects to take you seriously, to see you as a trusted authority, able to provide solutions to their problems.
Branding is an important component of corporate communications planning, yet unfortunately many companies ignore it, conflating it with strategy. As a result, when they engage in branding, they often engage in one-dimensional communication which doesn’t necessarily lead to long-term results. Many times, companies create a brand strategy, develop a logo, create a marketing campaign, launch a website, distribute press releases and engage in brand-led communications. Once they understand what their brand strategy is and what they need to do to shape and define it, however, they stop listening to their customers and prospects on what they want and need – which is the essence of brand strategy.
As a company or professional organizations branding isn’t just about colors, logos and fonts; it’s about processes and principles that work together to create a consistent brand that customers and prospects trust. In order to truly understand the fundamentals of creating a brand strategy, one must first understand the brand. Think of it as the visual aspect of your business. A brand is an intrinsic part of what your organization represents, something that people understand and can identify with. Just like a color palette that works for painting a house, a brand is the combination of colors that best portrays what your business is and what your values are.
Creating strong brands is the essential first step toward establishing an organization’s place in its market and the subsequent step toward its success. A strong brand is built on a foundation of clear communication with an accurate portrayal of who you are, what your company does, why customers should choose you and how they can benefit from you. A strong brand is also inherently scalable and adaptable. It takes a minimal effort to maintain and build, making it a simple matter to establish one for your organization or even your personal brand.
Branding secrets language, on the other hand, is all about communicating more with less. Secrets language is all about taking bold risks. In this case, it’s not about creating a brand strategy that will guarantee long-term success but rather building the ability to communicate with clarity and simplicity. When you are able to tell your story without going into the “boring” territory, you are more likely to attract attention and be heard. When you use the secret language of brand strategy, people will pay attention, come to know and understand you, resulting in increased revenue, loyal customers and referrals and ultimately, growth and success.